One more High five
by Saulen
Summary: "No need to worry." Her words gave him courage to go on. Ash and Dawn meet again after many years, each of them carrying a burden that doesn't let them move on. They will have to work together once more to stop a danger to the Pokémon world, while facing their own feelings and the danger of being separated forever, depending on Ash's decision, and Misty's shadow.
1. Dawn! A thing ends, another begins!

Pokémon, Ash Ketchum, Dawn, Pikachu, Misty and all other related characters are property of their respective authors (which I guess are Satoshi Tajiri and Nintendo). This is a work of fiction.

Pokémon – One more High Five

**Dawn – The end of a thing, the beginning of another**

Pallet Town-Viridian City Train Station

Its nighttime and nobody is around. The train has just arrived, and from it, a Pokémon and a young woman in her early twenties come down. The girl carries a big bag, which with great effort she moves down the transport and puts it on the floor near the exit. While she walks, limping can be seen in her right leg.

"We're here, at last", She says, enthusiastically. "I hope he's at home". Smiles while thinking of him, her best friend. Her smile is quickly replaced by a sigh, while her hands accommodate her blue hair behind her neck. "He's probably with her, though". States while looking at her partner, a little blue penguin. "Anyways, I can't wait to tell him that I came up on eight position at the great Kalos festival". Tries to cheer up herself, while her Piplup partner turns its eyes to the ground, saddened with what her master just said. "What a way to finish my coordinator career, don't you think?" Piplup just walks to the exit. "Hahahaha, what a wrong way to lose a contest". The master laughs with one hand behind her head, closing her eyes for a moment.

Piplup feels the sadness in its master's voice. It has been like that since that day. And all was its own fault, because its weakness as her starter Pokémon. Each time it remembers that contest, it can hear her cries of pain and frustration, and its feelings of guilt over it just grow stronger.

"No need to worry". The master tries to cheer up herself again. Even if she is being overwhelmed by sadness, she won't give up. She might have given up on contests, but not on her happiness. What happiness can come if she can't do what she likes anymore? That question pops up on her mind time to time. The bandage on her right leg acts as a witness of what happened, and as a reminder of what she won't be able to do anymore. She can't forget that, but now it's not the time for being depressed. She has come all the way to Pallet Town, and won't settle for showing him nothing less than her best smile.

"Come on, Piplup, let's find Ash's house". She says while opening her pink umbrella. She takes her bag and walks limping down the ramp. Her loyal Pokémon follows. The sky looks clouded, and rain begins to fall.

XXXXXXXXXX

"This doesn't have to be this way"

A reluctant voice can be heard among the silent and cloudy evening. Clouds of rainstorm make themselves heard through thunders in the distance. The wind blows cold, moving the grass at their feet. A couple is standing on a bridge at the lake on the road between the newly opened direct path between Pallet and Cerulean, were a no-stops bus can be taken to arrive at the destination terminal in a matter of minutes. The girl, a redhead, shows a distressed expression, hugging herself while avoiding his gaze. A Pikachu looks at them from a Rock nearby, knowing that right now is best not to interfere. In a similar situation is her Corsola, whom with a sad expression, cannot do more than to hide in the nearby water and wait for her master to come back at him.

"No, Misty. This time… it has to be this way. I must go". He answers, not capable to look at her eyes either. In his visual range only is her yellow shirt, and the lower half of her red hair, to which he is very used to. They usually argue a lot. A very lot of lots, but she knows this time is different. In her heart there is a frustration that has never been there before. She clenches her fists strongly while giving him a serious look, letting her anger take care of the situation.

"But… Ash… I…" She says, her eyes soaked with tears. What is happening is real. Her dream came true after too many years, and now is ending again. Ash is throwing her to the side because of his never ending dream of becoming a Master, not caring about anything or anyone, as always. Her emotions overwhelm her again and the rage takes over. "Ok, Ash Ketchum! If you are that fixated on chasing such a stupid dream, so be it!" She stomps the ground with her feet and advances towards his direction, pushing him back. "Go and live again your childish dream, but you're nothing but a child!" He pushes him again, crying, while rain falls on both of them. "You had a chance here! You could've been someone! Even a gym leader if you wanted to!" Her words alone make him flinch, stepping back a little. Misty's anger increases even more, the red on her cheeks more prominent. "But you chose to be a loser! Going again and again to each league without winning anything even once!" Her words cut through him like steel. "You're such a big fool". Says coldly. He still doesn't answer. She gets angry again and slaps him with her right hand. "The biggest fool ever, that's what you are".

The rain increases and both get very wet quickly. Misty cries loudly, her anger now sadness, hitting him on his chest, each hit weaker, until stopping completely, resting her head on him. He finally reacts, making her step back a little to look him at the eyes.

"A stupid dream, huh?" He answers, pondering her words. Misty looks at him, knowing those words were the worst possible to say to him, but also realizing that it is already too late to apologize. Ash sighs, while the rain baths them both intensely. "It might be a stupid dream after all". He says, hardening the look on his eyes. A fake smile appears on his lips, barely covering the fact that the youth is about to cry. "… But in the end… even if it is a stupid one… it is my dream." Realizes while Misty looks at him in shock. "Ten years ago, when we first met, I told you the same thing, and that hasn't changed since then. I will be a Pokémon Master". His eyes now reflect the sadness of accepting what has come to an end. "But then again, you're right in something: it is my dream, not yours". Misty's eyes open wide while she listens to his words. "What I can promise you is that I will be the very best Pokémon Master." He takes a Pokeball from his belt and shows it to her, serious. She gets upset and knocks the ball from his hand.

"Such a stupid boy, indeed". She says while crying, frustrated. "Good look in your travels" says while her expression changes to melancholic. "I just have one request".

"… Sure" Ash says, looking at her.

"Please… don't ever look for me again. I don't want to see you anymore."

"…."

She turns her back at him, takes a Pokeball from her pouch and calls back her Corsola to it. Then walks away to the road to the bus station. While she walks, Ash tries to extend his arm towards her to stop her, but his feet don't move, and his voice doesn't come out. In a matter of seconds, Misty vanishes from sight.

"Don't… leave my side…" The words finally articulate in his mouth, but is too late. Only he and Pikachu are in the scene, the latter covering himself from the water using a leaf he found nearby. The Pokémon trainer stands still, deciding whether he should chase her or not. "Pikachu" Says while addressing his partner. "If I go get her now…" He stops mid-sentence, clean his tears with his arm and smiles at his friend.

"Pikapi…" Answers the mouse. Ash sighs again, and looks back at him, not smiling anymore.

"It doesn't matter anymore. Let's go home". Pikachu climbs to his right shoulder. "Who needs girls anyways? Hahahhaahahaha" Laughs forcibly, to which his Pokémon reacts with another sigh. "You know what? Let's go to another region, just you and me, like the old times…" Tears are flowing through his cheeks again, without him even realizing it. When did he stop being that dense child? Those tears mix with the rainwater falling on his face. "She's such a crazy girl, always angry…" He lowers his face while looking at the raindrops fall on the soil. "I think I will be better without her. She didn't even go to see me at the tournaments anymore, like she used to do" His voice now hesitant. "But… you know…" He stops mid-sentence. Remembers the time when, after Brock finally made him notice Misty's feelings, he decided to finally give the step. It was shortly after he came back from placing 8th on the Indigo League regional tournament. That was 5 years ago, when he was sixteen and she was seventeen.

"Misty, I want to be a Pokémon Master" His words seemed pretty usual to her, just the same Pokémon Master stuff.

"Yeah, so what?" She answered back then.

"You know…" He said, flustered. Misty became interested and decided to tease him a bit.

"No, I don't know. What is it?" She leaned on him, making him blush. Being adolescent was a great thing for her.

"I… I want you to…"

"… You want me to…?" –She followed.

"I want you to be by my side when I make it" He said, while looking at her blue eyes.

"Well, I was planning to be, even if you didn't request for it" Her voice a little disappointed.

"No, that's not what I meant." He gathered courage and looked at her again. "I want you… to be… my…. Dang! You know what I mean!" Finished, nervous. She looked at him, perplexed. Nobody said nothing for a couple of minutes, until she finally realized that it was a serious request, blushing tremendously.

"I… er… Well…" Her hesitation crumbling Ash's resolution. She finally calmed down and smiled back at him. "…Yes, Ash Ketchum. I will be your girlfriend". Both smiled gently. "I never, ever thought than the hyper dense Ash Ketchum would finally see what he had in front of him this whole time" Said jokingly. "I will always be by your side, Ash". Her hand reached his, and their lips came near each other…

Now, five years later, it is the same dream the one that takes them apart. While he walks through the road on his way back to Pallet, he reminisces about the smile that he won't be seeing from now on. At the same time, he remembers the feeling of hearing the words that another girl used to say, a phrase that he now needs very much. Words that he hasn't heard since a long time, and that keep alive a little hope, forgotten since a long time ago.

"No need to worry"

The voice of that girl sounds in his head while he repeats her catchphrase. "No need to worry." He imagines her with her white hat on, near him, smiling. They saw each other for the last time long ago. She used to send him letters regularly, but when he told her that he and Misty got together, that "regularly" became "seldom". And that seldom stopped altogether two years ago, with the last letter telling him that she was going to participate in the Kalos Grand Festival, but never got a follow-up letter to let him know how it went. She didn't reply letters or e-mails anymore, and when he tried to contact her by phone, a simple reply by Johana was enough for him to stop trying.

"She says hello, but is away in a travel and won't be coming back soon".

He hung up and realized that maybe she got angry with him because of the thing with Misty, but there was no way to know. Did Dawn really think of him that way? He himself wasn't sure of how he felt towards her, but did know that thinking of her and being together made him happy.

But that stopped. And now Misty is gone too. The only thing left is a never-ending rain, his loyal Pikachu and a dream that every time looks farther and farther away.

"A stupid dream!"

Misty's words cleave through his ears. He remembers her, telling him that, her voice filled with resentment and pity. "I guess there's no turning back with her". Those feelings permeate his cool, shaking her resolution and bringing a feeling of distrust in himself that never felt before.

"Maybe… just maybe… she's right…" Says, his eyes darkened by the shadow of his cap.

"Pika…" His friend tries to cheer him up, but doesn't know how, so he just climb to his shoulder.

"Thank you, Pikachu. Let's go home and rest." He responds showing a fake smile, on that Pikachu inmediately sees through, but doesn't say anything. Suddenly, the silent rain is pierced by the sound of an old fashioned villain theme. Ash and Pikachu look up and find the usual Team Rocket's air balloon, with his usual enemies on it.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!" Says the now-over-35 year old couple.

"Argh! There's no time for you now!" Ash interrupts them, angry. Jessie stops mid-air and catches a glimpse of the twerp's face, noticing his tears.

"The… twerp is…" She says, but before they can do anything else, Pikachu jumps to them, commanded by his enraged trainer.

"Pikachu, Thunder!" Orders angrily. Pikachu bursts out electricity and calls up for a thunder from the rain they're under. A flash of lighting comes from the sky, overcharging the mouse, in front of a scared team Rocket.

"PIKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA CHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" The blast destroys the balloon and electrocutes them again, sending them flying through the sky.

"Team Rocket blasting off again!" They yell while flying, until they become a shining star on the sky.

"WOOOOOBUFETT!" The blue Pokémon's scream can be heard in the distance. Pikachu lands back on his master's head, while he clenches his fists, having relieved somehow his pain with attacking the old trio.

"What's up with them? It's been more than 10 years and they're still at it." Says while looking at the sky.

"Wow, that was a very impressive thunder attack" A voice comes from behind. Ash and Pikachu quickly turn over to check who's there, finding what is seems to be person covered with a black hood.

"Who are you?" He asks, putting on guard.

"Impressive indeed. I haven't seen such a powerful Thunder since the one from Master Red's Pikachu". Continues the person, as if Ash weren't there.

"Red…" That name is familiar to him. Oak once told him about Red, the legendary Pokémon trainer, a legend of many feats. He tried to have the professor tell him more about him, but he always changed the subject. He didn't know he had a Pikachu too. "So what? Tell me who are you!" Insists Ash, his eyes filled with anger.

"Ah, that's a good look on your eyes. I have been watching you, and from what I can tell, you're just another mediocre trainer wannabe, but you will fulfill your role when Master Yellow decides so."

"Yellow…" That's an unfamiliar name to him.

"So, I will come back for you when the time comes, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town." Declares while turning his back on him. Ash doesn't miss his chance and has Pikachu go for him.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Declares, while his Pokémon runs at full speed to the shadow and tries to ram it, just to go through it, as if he wasn't there. "What?" Says the trainer, looking at the vanishing black figure.

"We'll meet again." Declares before disappearing.

"Mediocre trainer wannabe." The figure's last words resonate in his head again. Maybe because of what Misty said to him, but what just happened has left him even angrier than before. He tries to run in the dark towards the way the person left, but trips on a rock and hits the ground with his face. The rain continues to fall, and the mud formed by the water and soil now covers his whole body.

"Back in the mud again, huh?" He says to himself, not trying to get up. Pikachu comes near him, angry and about to say something, but stops to stare at the people they have in front now. "What's the matter now, Pikachu?" He asks, while finally trying to get on his feet, but an unexpected voice freezes him on his place.

"Piplup!" The familiar voice of her Pokémon surprises him, but becomes even more surprised at hearing the next voice.

"Ash?" He begins to wonder is he fell unconscious when he hit the ground, because right now, Dawn is in front of his eyes.

"Dawn…" Says her name in a tiny voice. The young woman, covering herself from the rain with a pink umbrella and carrying a big bag, stares at him, surprised.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Two years ago

"Now it's the turn for Dawn! This 19-years old Pokémon coordinator comes from Twinleaf Town, and brings a show she prepared with her very own starter Pokémon, Piplup!" The announcer says while Dawn appears on scene with Piplup, greeting with both hands, wearing a pink long dress, and her long hair tied on a ponytail.

"What do you think about this contestant, mister?" Another announcer asks.

"Well, she is the daughter of the legendary Johanna, so I guess we can expect nothing less of a great performance. When her mother won the Grand Festival, she was her same age." Explains while Dawn does some exercises with Piplup on stage before starting. "But let's ask Johanna herself, who is our guest for today's event". The camera shows Dawn's mother sitting next to the two announcers.

"Well, she has been training a lot. Since she started her career when she was ten, she has had many positive influences and experiences, and the result is that she's now here, at the Grand Kalos festival. But no one, never should take for granted anything, especially a Pokémon coordinator." Explains the mother, with a serious expression. Both announcers look at her and then return to narrate the event. The nurse Joy is giving the signal for her to begin.

"It looks that the judges authorized the presentation!"

"It's up to Dawn to do her thing now! She has quite a fandom here in Kalos, and it shows!" The camera pans to the crowd, cheering for her. Many cameras and flashes cover the scenario where the blue haired girl is now standing. She takes a deep breath and prepares to start.

"Piplup! Do the Bubble beam with Hydro pump combo!" She orders him, while the Pokémon jumps into the air. Johanna stands up with a worried expression.

"Dawn…" She says in a whisper. "Take care…"

Piplup jumps shrouded by liquid stream, firing Bubble beams around him, injecting them with water and making them denser and heavier.

"What's wrong?" Asks one of the announcers to the mother, who sits down and tries to explain, without taking her eyes of her daughter.

"That move…" Johanna explains with a worried expression. "The Pokémon must create a lot of bubbles with massive density and throw them to the stage, and then fire a Hydro Pump attack to make them explode, creating shockwaves of water that expand to form rainbows with the light of the place.

"That sounds nice" Says one of them.

"But…?" Intersects the other.

"But if Piplup misses, then all those attacks will only have one destination…" Both of the announcers realize with horror what Johanna means.

"… The stage where Dawn is"

"This appeal needs total and complete confidence and trust in her Pokémon. I don't doubt the abilities of Piplup, but…" Thinks the mother while looking at the little Penguin. "His body…"

Dawn commands Piplup to make the next move, and while doing so, looks at an empty seat among the crowd, imagining Ash cheering for her.

"This is for you, Ash" Dawn thinks. "You taught me to always give my very best, so I won't hold back!" looks at her partner. "Piplup! Hydro Pump!"

The water Pokémon fires its attack, but the pressure from having just created the bubbles and then firing its strongest attack takes a toll on its body, and becomes unable to control the strength of the attack, being pushed back by it and missing the angle. Dawn is standing in the middle of the stage, smiling, but doesn't realize what happened until the powerful stream of water is about to hit her, all within a couple of seconds.

"Dawn!" Her mother stands up and begins running to the stage. Everything goes in slow motion, painted in red. The Hydro Pump hits Dawn in her right leg, crushing it with such force that makes her bounce against the floor, and sends her flying to the bubbles, making them explode against her, throwing her to the floor again, where she lands with her right knee in front, breaking it and her entire leg, making a hollow sound.

"Gahhh…." Her voice is consumed by the pain, and the now unfocused bubbles begin to fall on top of her, like if a dozen of bowling balls, breaking many of her bones. Her last thought before losing consciousness to the pain is her last high five with Ash. "I just wanted you to…" She loses all her senses. After that, a series of unfocused memories follows, with no place and no order in time, only black and shadows everywhere.

"Her leg… it won't be the same again. It broke in many parts" A doctor says.

"I don't think she will be able to participate in a contest the same way she used to…" The nurse Joy explains while she lowers her head.

"I WANNA WALK! I WANT TO BE THE SAME AS BEFORE!" Hears herself crying, while her mom hugs her.

"You will walk, but it won't be the same for now." Another voice pops up. "The rest of your bones are almost fully healed, but that leg will take a lot more of work". Her world was crushed once again in that moment.

"My leg…"

"Dawn"

"I… will quit being a coordinator." She said. Johanna was stunned at the declaration, but couldn't do anything but to agree.

"Yes… I understand."

"But that doesn't mean I'm done. When I get strong enough to walk by myself again, there's someone I want to go see.

"You mean… to travel? By yourself?" Asked her mother, worried. Dawn, sitting on her bed, with her leg still covered in plaster, gives a nod.

"But…"

"Please, mom. I want to see…"

XXXXXXXXX

"Ash…" Dawn's voice breaks the yet again silent night. Pikachu and he just stare at them.

"Pikapi… Pikapika!" Pikachu runs towards them, greets Piplup and then jumps into Dawn's arms, giving her a hug.

"I missed you too, Pikachu" She says while smiling, then looks at Ash again. "Ash! I wanted to see you!" exclaims happily, trying to walk to him without having him noticing her limping. Her happy face and that aura of likeness to him leave no doubt. She is Dawn, and she is in front of him once again, just in time.

"Dawn…" Just saying her name makes him lose control of all his emotions, as if he didn't need to do that with her. She arrives at his side while he promptly stands up, and the two stare at each other for a moment.

"Wow, you're such a mess right now." Declares jokingly. Ash catches a glimpse of the still persistent bandaged aid on her leg, but doesn't give much attention, choosing to hug her instead, making her umbrella fall to the ground.

"Dawn…" Whispers while crying silently. Dawn blushes, but chooses not to ask anything yet.

"No need to worry" She whispers back. "Everything will be alright" says as if not only speaking to him, but to herself too. Ash is now by her side, the strength she needed, and the answer she is looking for is in front of her. She wonders if this path will take her somewhere, but right now really doesn't care. She hugs him strongly, closing her eyes and repeating her mantra. "No need to worry…"

The two hug silently for a long time. Pikachu and Piplup stand by their side, the latter still guilty over what happened to her master. And so, the four figures are engulfed by the night, while the rain finally stops, along with the rain on Ash's heart, thanks to the umbrella brought by the blue haired girl.

XXXXXXXXXXX

A Steelix crashes against the ground of the Pewter Gym, defeated. His master, Brock, the Gym leader, watches in horror as the shadowy figure walks towards him.

"You… what do you want from me?!" Asks, scared. The figures pulls out a green orb from his hood, showing it to the victim.

"I want… your mirror."

"Mirror?" Asks Brock, surprised by the answer received. Seconds after, a light can be seen in the distance. Brock falls unconscious to the ground, and the attacker now holds what looks like the Boulder Badge in his hands.

"Now, if I'm not mistaken, the next one is the Cerulean Gym… Misty the mermaid". Says with smacking lips. "Master Yellow will be happy with so many Kanto mirrors, fufufu." Declares happily. The next moment, no one is around.

**To be continued**.

_Next chapter_, Ash takes Dawn to his house and Delia has a chat with her, while she tries to hide her leg problem from Ash. Meanwhile, the Cerulean Gym is attacked! Misty stands up to battle using her pride as the best Water Pokémon trainer as her weapon, hiding the sorrow that stems from her fight with Ash, which might become her weak point…

Next chapter: Mirror! Attack on the Cerulean Gym!

"I will be the very best!"

XXXXXXXX

Okay, that's it. This is my first English fanfic, so please be kind to me, fufufu. I'm making this fic as an exercise to improve my writing, but I'm also a big Pokémon fan (and Dawn's fan), so any reviews are much appreciated. I also like Pokeshipping, so the fic will always flow between the two, even if Pearlshipping is my OTP. Anyways, please leave a review if you liked it.

See you around!


	2. Mirror! Attack on the Cerulean Gym!

This chapter has a lot more action than the previous one, which (I think) was a little more depressing. Anyways, it was useful to show the emotional state of the characters. Thank you for your interest in my story. Here's today chapter.

**Chapter 2: Mirror – Attack to Cerulean Gym!**

"Everything is all right."

The rain that until now was pouring on them, suddenly waned when Ash heard Dawn's words. Her small but rough hands tighten the grip on him, resting her chin on his shoulder, while caressing his head with her left hand. "Everything will be all right." She repeats again. Ash closes his eyes and hugs her strongly without answering. Both stay like that for a long while. Dawn's white hat, which she donned just because of nostalgia, slides to the floor, while some of her blue hair strands stick to his cheek. His heartbeat is the same as she remembers, very strong, just the way he is. She closes her eyes and shares her warmness with him until the rain stops completely.

After a while, Ash opens his eyes and puts his hands on her shoulders, looking at her eyes.

"Thank you, Dawn." He muses, calmer. Upon saying those words, the moon appears again on the sky. The blunette looks at his eyes warmly, but cannot hide her worry from him, the same way he cannot hide his feelings from her. It has been like that since the time they traveled Sinnoh when they were kids, back then when everything was battles and contests, and being happy about being together doing just that. Now they have grown up, but, somehow, they're still the same they were before.

"Dawn, I…" He tries to explain why he was so sad, but she lays a finger on his lips, making he stop.

"Tomorrow." She stops him with her authority as best friend. "I… I also have some things to tell you." She can barely hide the pain that causes her to stand on her right leg, but instead of touching it, she places both of her hands over her heart, and her face suddenly turns as red as a tomato.

"Dawn…?" He looks at her, dense as usual. She feels embarrassed about the hug they shared, thinking that the hug went too naturally.

"I'm all right, I'm all right" Answers without looking at him, feeling her heart throb faster. Pikachu and Piplup interrupt the scene by coming near them.

"Pikapi"

"Piplupup" They say, calling their respective masters. Ash nods and shows Dawn the way to his house.

"Let's continue the chat at home." Offers the trainer, with a better mood.

"Well, I was planning to stay at your place, if you don't mind. In fact I spoke to your mother before coming here, and she was the one to invite me here for a few days."

"Oh, well, she didn't tell me a thing."

"Maybe she wanted to surprise you." Smiles sheepishly. "And besides that, I'm dying to use your mother's hairdryer." She shows him her wet hair. "This rain will swell my hair."

"Now that's more like you." He laughs a bit, to which Dawn laughs back.

"You will be more like you after you take a bath." She says, gazing at his mud-covered body. Then realizes she's covered in mud herself after hugging him.

"I… Oh my god…" She looks at herself. "I need to take a bath now." Her shirt and skirt are covered in mud. "I'm sorry Mr. Ketchum, but you'll have to wait your turn for bathing." Says while giving him a wink.

"Sure, sure." Now he's smiling. "If I learned something from our time traveling together is to never mess with a girl and her clothes." Dawn grins and walks to her bag, unintentionally tripping because of her limping, falling in Ash's arms. "Are you ok, Dawn?"

"Yup, no need to worry." Smiles nervously. "But… It would certainly be of help if you carried my bag for me. I'm a lady after all, you know."

"When you say things like that is when I worry the most." Answers jokingly. "Let me take the bag." He takes the lead and shows her the way. For once, Dawn is happy about Ash denseness. She begins to walk behind him, trying to relax a bit.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cerulean Gym

It's around ten o'clock at night. It is still raining outside. Misty came back a while ago, took a shower and put on the white swimsuit she usually trains with, covered with a sleeved unbuttoned blue shirt. Now she's sitting on the edge of the pool, wetting her feet in the water, still pouring some tears because her break up with Ash. The tears slide down her cheeks, reaching her chin and falling to the water.

"That idiot…" She says, anger still on her voice. "_You're an idiot! Your dream is just nonsense!"_ Remembers the words she said to him, while victim to her own rage, as usual. "I did say some really mean things to you, didn't I?" moves her short hair behind her ear, while looking at her own reflection in the water. She then shakes her head strongly, like to get rid of any soft feelings towards him. "No, that idiot deserved it." She rubs her swollen eyes with her sleeve to clean any remaining tears, sighs deeply and leaves the water. She stands up and begins to walk on the edge of the pool, while some of her water Pokémon look at her. Her bare feet walk silently on the ceramic floor, her slender figure projecting a shadow because of the reflector lights on the ceiling of the building. "Let's take some sleep." She says, almost reaching the door.

Suddenly, she freezes. Her legs, still wet, are traversed by drops of water trying to reach the floor. Her eyes begin looking in all directions, trying to identify the source of her feeling. Her heart beats faster, and a cold breeze runs through her hair and ears, lifting her shirt a little. She clenches her fits and regains control of herself, getting rid of her nervousness.

"Who's there?" Asks with a defiant voice. Whispers suddenly fill the silent room, giving an ominous feel.

"Gyarados, come!" She calls forth her strongest Pokémon, who emerges from the pool giving a roar, splashing water everywhere. "Gyarados, Dragon Rage!" Commands her, pointing to the corner of the gym covered in shadows. The water/flying Pokémon shots a ball of energy from its mouth towards the designated location, which explodes on contact, generating a little shockwave that makes her shirt and hair wave, while the look on her face changes from Misty the girl to Gym Leader Misty. When the smoke clears, they see a Gengar projecting a Protect move, standing in front of a hooded figure, who shows an impressed look.

"Show yourself!" Demands the redhead.

"I expected no less from Gym Leader Misty, the mermaid." Says, emphasizing on her epithet. "Your fame is justified. Being able to tell my location with only following the shadows on this specific point, and having your Gyarados fire such a strong Dragon Rage shows your level as a Gym Leader." Smiles again. "A very talented girl, indeed." Misty assumes a battle position.

"Let me repeat myself. Show yourself." She demands. "Giving compliments won't get you out of this." Warns her while Gyarados prepares for another attack. "If you're a trainer looking for an easy Badge, this is the wrong way to do it, boy." She gives a step towards him, without taking her sight of his Gengar.

"Woah, calm down, girl." He answers, while giving a step, too. "I really don't want to fight with you, let alone get in an argument with the tomboyish mermaid."

"Huh, I haven't been called tomboyish for quite a while." Laughs defiantly. "But, as I said, it's already too late to run away."

The invader lets out a sigh and moves his shoulders. "Ok, let's go at it, then. I just thought that you'd have more common sense than the Rock Solid Leader." Grins while remembering his last victim.

"Rock-Solid…" The image of her old friend, Brock, shows in her mind. "That's Brock's battle name…" Identifies with horror. "What did you do to Brock!?" Gyarados wounds around her, to protect her better from the enemy.

"Well…" He smiles again, giving another step and getting into the light. Then reaches his pocket for something and shows it to Misty, who reacts confused. In his hand is something that looks like the Boulder Badge.

"That's… the Boulder Badge…" Remembers when they were kids and Brock gave Ash his first badge. "But… what do you mean? Do you really want just a Badge?" Asks, confused.

"Oh, not exactly, my cute gym leader." Looks up to reveal his big, rounded eyes, with his face still covered in dark because of the hood. In his left hand, between his fingers, he holds the Thunder Badge, Soul Badge and Volcano Badge. Misty recognizes each of them, associating them with their respective Gym leaders.

"You're not to know much, but these aren't like ones you are familiar with." Explains grinning wider. "In fact, they're quite different. These are…"

Misty is fixated in the badges on his hands, so she doesn't notice three Sableyes emerging from the ground below her and restraining her legs.

"Ugh!" She utters. Gyarados notices it and tries to defend her, but since they're inside its ring of protection, can't do anything without harming its trainer.

"Gengar, Thunderbolt!" Commands the enemy. The Gengar jumps and performs the attack on Gyarados, sending it flying to crash on a wall.

"Gyarados!" Misty calls for her friend. She tries to run to him, but falls to the ground, the Sableyes pulling her legs. "Let me go, you purple roaches!" Screams trying to get rid of them, but they put her face up, with two holding her legs and the third one restraining her arms. "Let me go!" She says, trying to kick, but not being able to move. She notices the hooded man getting near her, and quickly calls for more of her Pokémon.

"Corsola, Seaking, Staryu, come!" She summons them, appearing from the pool. "All of you, water gun, now!" She orders, while the three water Pokémon push the Sableyes away with their attacks. Misty quickly stands up and gets ready to keep fighting.

"Oh, not bad." Says the enemy, having fun. "Gengar, Thunderbolt!" Commands again.

"Lanturn, I choose you!" Says Misty, summoning another water Pokémon from one of the pools, intercepting and cancelling the electric attack. "Now, Lanturn, Zap Cannon!" Commands it again. The water-electric Pokémon sends a discharge that zaps Gengar, making it faint. "You should have brought a real electric type at least!" Misty tells him, while he looks angry.

"You're pretty good, Gym Leader Misty." Says, gritting his teeth. Misty now looks more confident, backed up by her many Pokémon.

"Did you really think that you had a chance? This is the Cerulean Gym, and I'm Misty, the Mermaid, the Gym leader!" While she talks, all of the water Pokémon on the Gym overlook from the tanks and pools surrounding them. "A type disadvantage is the least of my problems here!" Luvdisc, Politoed, Seel, Shellder, Starmie, Dewgong, Seadra and many more begin getting near them, making the invader give a step back.

"Wow. You impress me more and more by the second." Says, while smacking. "And that just makes me want your mirror even more." He takes something from his hood again and shows it to her. It is a green crystal orb.

"My… mirror?" Asks, confused. She looks at the Orb and feels something familiar about it.

"Yes, but first we have to get rid of all these Water Pokémon." Says casually while using his other hand to take another ball from his belt.

"I told you. Type advantages don't matter at all at my Gym."

"We'll see about that." His eyes now show an aggressive look. "You wanted a pure electric type?" Misty looks at his hand. The ball on it is a…

"A Master Ball…" Muses scared.

"I choose you!" The enemy declares, while throwing the ball to the air. The mighty figure of a Pokémon begins to form. Misty trembles in terror upon its sight.

"This… cannot be…." Her pupils contract and her legs shake, unable to react on time to do anything else.

In the distance, a yellow thunder can be seen falling from the sky upon the Gym. An explosion followed by the sound of thunder resonates through the city.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Pallet Town

Dawn has taken a bath and now is getting changed in the room assigned to her by Delia, who received her with a smile, as usual. She has put her pajama's shirt and now is striving to put the pants on, but the problem with her leg makes the process lengthier. Piplup helps her to put her right foot in the right spot.

"Thanks, Piplup." She says while pulling her pants to her waist, trying not to look at her scarred leg, still feeling pain from it. "I just hope it doesn't look as bad as I see it. Even if it is a scar, if it's mine, it must look good." Says to herself. She then sits on the bed and falls on her back, looking at the ceiling while listening to the rain outside. She remembers Ash telling her about his Break-up with Misty after their chat with Delia.

"Misty… I… we… we are no longer a couple." He explained her in a more composed way, his usual self. His word surprised her, unable to hide her astonishment. "It was bound to happen. In the end, we were just too different."

"Oh my God, Ash, I'm sorry." She answered, without really knowing well what to say herself.

She tried to be in a relationship with Kenny, but when it was just starting she realized that it wouldn't work, so she left him in the early stages and remained friends. But Ash… when she first heard that he and Misty were a couple, she couldn't believe it, but began to accept it as the years passed. It really hurt her in the beginning. She always considered Ash to be her best friend, and he having a couple, for some reason made her feel very hurt, even if she was supposed to be happy for him.

"I guess I'm as dense as him." Smiles to herself. "But now…" She imagines herself in his arms, looking at each other in a romantic fashion. "NONONONONONO." Shakes her head and rolls on the bed. "What am I thinking? The poor guy just ended a relationship with his first love!" Then she lower her voice. "And I… don't want to lose him…"

In his own room, Ash in in the same position as Dawn, looking at his ceiling, with his arms below his head, thinking about the two girls. He remembers Misty yelling at him, and then hugging Dawn, still able to feel her warmness on his arms.

"I must be cautious." Says while looking at Pikachu, who gives a nod. "I can't risk hurting Dawn out of spite with Misty. She came to see me as a surprise for me, so I…" He imagines himself with both Misty and Dawn in front, looking him in the eyes, reaching out to him.

"Pikachu pikapi." Calls him his friend, like to bring him back from fantasy land.

"You're right, Pikachu. Let's give this thing a couple of days. It's too soon to be thinking of anything else." He says, closing his eyes. The silence surrounded by rain outside is dispelled by the sound of a big thunder in the distance. Ash looks at the window and sees the brief flash of light for a moment.

"Wow that was a big one."

In her room, Dawn heard the same thing, feeling something revolve in her chest.

"A Thunder…" Muses while looking at the rain.

XXXXXXXXXX

Cerulean Gym

There's a huge hole in the roof, which lets the rain fall inside the building. The Pokémon used by the enemy to perform the attack is already in energy form, returning to its Master Ball. In front of the assailant, Misty, now full of wounds, with her outfit scrapped, and blood coming out her mouth, is still standing up, all of her water Pokémon fainted, scattered across the gym. With a lot of effort and labored breathing, the Water trainer looks at her opponent, who begins to walk towards her. The green Orb in his hand begins to react to her proximity.

"This…" Misty begins to say. Images of her fight with Ash come to her mind. "If only we didn't have that fight…" Laments.

"Sableye, mean look!" Commands the enemy. The three Sableyes execute their technique, immobilizing her, who feels like being crushed by invisible restraints.

"Agh… let… let me go…" She complaints. The man finally arrives at her side, showing her the Orb near her face.

"You're very beautiful indeed. Ash Ketchum is really a fortunate boy." Comments casually. Misty reacts to the mention of Ash.

"What do… you want with Ash?!" Asks while the Mean Look restraints her.

"Wow, it looks that I finally found a crack on your Gym Leader armor." Says while passing his fingers on her cheek, near her lips. "What would you give for Ash Ketchum?" Asks while looking at her eyes.

"What….?"

"I promise you that when the time comes, it will be you who will give him to our Master." –Prophesizes while nearing the Orb to her chest. She closes her eyes and thinks about Ash one more time.

"I won't…" She defies her opponent once more.

"You will. Now, close your eyes, because this will hurt… a lot." –He activates the Orb, which begins to shine and unleashes a Thunderbolt-like attack on Misty, who begins to scream on pain.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHH!" Her voice resonating through the silent Gym. While receiving the discharge, she manages to open her eyes to notice light coming out of her and taking form in front of her chest. "That's…" manages to say, while the light finally materializes in what looks like the Cascade Badge. The green glow disappears, along with the gleam on her eyes, and he falls to the side, unable to move anymore, with only blurry irises on her eyes. The enemy takes the newly formed Cascade Badge in his hands and grins.

"I will tell you something. Ash Ketchum has a role in the scenario devised by Master Yellow. Attacking this Gym will surely bring him to us."

A cell phone rings and he promptly answers, putting one of his feet on top of Misty's head. "Yes? Sure, I have it. Whaaaaaaaat? All the way to Celadon?" A semiconscious misty hears the complaints. "Sure, anyways, just getting a glance of the beautiful Erika is worth it." He hangs up and looks at his victim.

"I will be waiting for you, my dear mermaid." He says, looking at her crying eyes. Misty completely loses consciousness, and a moment after, the hooded man and his Pokémon disappear.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ash"

A voice calls for him.

"Ash"

He now identifies it. That voice is Misty's. He looks up and sees her, standing in front of him, dressed with her white swimsuit and an open shirt.

"Misty…" He calls her. A child's laugh can be heard. Misty's figure disappears and all falls to darkness. He falls on his knees and looks at the floor, which now produces a reflection as if it was a mirror.

"A worthless travel. A worthless trainer." His own reflection tells him, looking at him with blackened eyes.

"No need to worry." Dawn's words dispel the darkness and the reflection of himself, and a projection of Dawn now stands in front of him, giving him a hand to stand up. Ash sighs and takes her hand, but she transforms into Misty again, who now looks at him with the same black eyes.

"She will be ours." Says with a thousand voices coming from her throat, before leaping on him. "And you will too!"

"GAAAAAH!" Ash wakes up, sweating. Pikachu is by his side, having been trying to wake him up.

"Thanks, Pikachu." Says looking at his friend. "I had a very weird nightmare this time." He gets up and gets dressed. While finishing putting his shirt on, a smell like bacon and eggs reaches his room, making him salivate.

"This smell… it's delicious" Smiles while raising his nose. "Surely mom made it because we're here". He hurries downstairs, thinking of nothing but how the bacon will taste in his mouth, grinning. When he reaches the kitchen, sees the blue haired girl in front of the stove, cooking. She's wearing a black t-shirt, with a pink vest on top of it, with a knee length skirt, with a white apron on. His mom is nowhere to be seen.

"Dawn?"

"Ah! Good morning, Ash!" She greets him with a big smile, so cute that makes him blush. "Take a seat, the breakfast will be ready in a moment."

"Ahh, yes, thank you." He sits down, while looking at her back, covered by her long, blue hair. "Pikachu, do you remember if Dawn knew how to cook?"

"Pika pi." He answers negating with its head.

"Well, this is some good experience." They both giggle a bit. Dawn looks at them over her shoulder, smiling a little herself. Delia looks at them from the door, smiling.

"They were so sad yesterday, and today is like nothing of that happened." They begin to chat between them as Delia watches. "This is the power of your bond, isn't it, Ash, Dawn?"

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Oak laboratory

Professor Oak is sitting on his desk, while Gary and Tracey are standing in front of him, discussing something.

"I received reports form Pewter City. The gym leader, Brock, disappeared last week and nobody has seen him since then." Reports Tracey, looking at his notepad. The same with Lt. Surge, Dr. Blaine and Koga, the Fuchsia Gym Leader." Looks at them. "There's something in common between all of the victims."

"Victims?" Intercepts Gary. "Well, it's obvious that they all are Gym Leaders."

"That means that, if the Gym leaders are in danger, we must warn Misty, Erika, Sabrina, and…" Looks at Gary. "And you, my grandson."

"Me?" You know that I refused to become Viridian's Gym Leader when they offered it to me." Replies with a serious tone.

"Maybe you're not, but you're the highest level trainer on that city right now, since you live there now. I just want you to take care."

"I will." Responds to tranquilize his grandpa.

"But… danger of what?" Adds Tracey. "Let me go to the locations to find out any info." He grabs some papers. "I will go to the police station and ask the officer Jenny about any details they might have on them."

"Ok, let's do that." Approves Oak. But first call the Gym Leaders to let them know.

"I'm on it." The Sketchit takes the phone and dials Misty's number, since she's the nearest to their location. Gary and Oak watch him as he talks.

"Hello? Yes, May I speak to the Gym leader Misty?" Asks politely. His face changes to horror after a moment. "Do what!?" Replies, surprised. Both of the Oaks look at him, concerned.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ash, Dawn and Delia are eating breakfast. He devours everything like no tomorrow, while the women enjoy themselves chatting between them.

"Dawn, this coffee is really delicious." Delia says, with a cup on her hand. "Johanna has taught you well."

"Hehe, Thanks, Mrs. Ketchum, but in reality, who taught me was Brock. He has been always good with that kind of stuff." Looks at her coffee. "Mom was very busy with contests, so I didn't quite have the chance to learn from her." Delia looks saddened, takes her hands and whispers.

"There are cooking secrets only known to women, so let me give you some recipes someday." She winks to her. "The best way to win a man's heart is through the stomach."

"Hehe, Mrs. Ketchum…" Dawn cleans a sweat from her forehead while listening.

"And tell me, how about the Contests?" Asks happily, but the question dissolves Dawn animosity. She squints Ash and answers.

"I gave up on Contests."

Ash stops eating at hearing the response, looking surprised, but somehow, having expected it, the way she behaved yesterday. She looks ashamed, and Ash tries to say something, but the phone rings at that moment. Delia, knowing she asked on a delicate issue, stands up to answer.

"Hello? Oh, Sam, hello!" She greets the professor. Ash still feels a little weird that her mom and the professor are in first name basis. "What?" Delia's voice suddenly changes, surprised. She quickly looks at them. "Cerulean Gym was attacked… and Misty with it." Says in a tiny voice. Upon hearing that, Ash immediately stands up.

"I… I want to go to see her." Looks at Dawn, who hastily nods.

"Yes. Let me go with you."

"You sure? You came here for a vacation, and…"

"… and to spend time with my best friend. Let me accompany you." Intercepts her. He sighs and nods.

"Mom… do you think is a good idea? I mean… we just…" His resolve shakes for a moment. His mom puts her hand in his shoulder, now at her same height, and puts her other hand in Dawn's.

"If you worry about someone, it doesn't matter what your relation is. She might not be your girlfriend anymore, but she's still an important person to you, isn't she?

Her words hit Dawn, who shares the same feeling. Misty is still in Ash's heart. That feeling causes a little pain again, but why?

"You're right, mom. Let's go, Pikachu, Dawn." Calls his friends, both of which nod and follow him. Dawn gets up and goes after him, but almost stumbles to the ground, because of her injured leg.

"Dawn, your leg…?"

"I'm ok." Answers rapidly. "Let's get going." Asks almost like begging him. Ash looks at her eyes and nod.

"All right, let's go."

After a moment, both of them are ready to go. Cerulean is not far from Pallet, and if they take the new road, will arrive in no time. Ash is already waiting, while Dawn is putting a pair of earrings in front of the mirror.

"I'm on my way." She tells them. While she finishes and heads to the door, Delia stops her for a moment.

"Please, Dawn. Take care of Ash." Tells her in a way that makes her feel as if she is talking of something beyond this travel, and feels that this trip might be longer than they think.

"Leave it to me, Mrs. Ketchum." She accepts. Then waves with her hand and follows Ash, going as fast as she can without being obvious of her problem. While Delia sees them off, she feels a little uneasy. She looks at the backs of both youths, as if watching a new adventure unfold.

"Whatever it takes… please find your answers." Muses with no one to hear.

"Ash, wait for me!" The blue haired girl tells her friend.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Master Yellow, we have the Cascade Mirror now." An ominous voice fills a dark room. A blond woman, wearing a long ponytail, stands in front of a big hole.

"Yes. Three more and the Kanto Door will finally be open." She answers.

"So be it. That way, our dream will become true."

"Where's the messenger?"

"I sent him to get the Rainbow Mirror."

"I see. Let's have him get Sabrina after Erika, and leave Gary Oak for last. He is the strongest among them."

"And what about Leaf's son? Master Red said…"

"I know what he said. But he is not ready yet. I thought that Misty would be enough to lure him to us, but it seems there's one thing we didn't expect."

"And that is…?"

"A blue haired girl…"

To be continued.

**Preview**

Tag battle. Ash and Dawn find Misty, who is able to tell them the enemy's next destination, while something begins to change inside her. On their way to save Erika, they will face a battle that will uncover their weaknesses, but might guide them to find a new power.

**Next chapter: Reflect! My inner self!**

"I will be the very best."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

And that's it. Many thanks to those who took their time to review the first chapter. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. If you like the story, please leave a review.

Hehe, yes, I know that a Hydro pump is not as dangerous as I put it, but, I mean, a Blastoise can send a Snorlax flying with one, so I guessed it must be a heavy hit.

Smell'ya later!


	3. Reflect: My previous self

**Reflect! My previous self**

Viridian Forest

Its daytime and a clear sky extends to the horizon. In the middle of an open field, there's a blonde woman, of petite build, with her long hair in a ponytail that reaches her legs, standing by a cliff, watching the landscape with her deep, purple eyes. The morning breeze blows around her, moving her hair and clothes slightly. She spots a Butterfree, flying in circles while chasing some Sunfloras, playfully. Looking at it, she remembers an old feeling of freedom, of a time when she used to fly carried by her own Buttefree lifting her from her back, receiving the chilly air of the sky in her cheeks, while watching a boy with a red cap greeting her from the ground; a boy that always stood in front of her to defend her, to teach her, to guide her… a boy that long ago turned into the man she will always follow, even if it means descending into hell itself, although he had chosen another one, leaving her with something she will never have. Her little memory fades at the same time that the hooded messenger appears behind her.

"Master Yellow". She calls her, ceremoniously. The blond woman looks at her, her gaze filled with superiority.

"What do you want?" She asks, looking at her with eyes as cold as a dead forest.

"The Swellow we sent to spy on the spot you commanded came back with reports of Ash Ketchum and Dawn Berlitz having left Pallet Town and now heading to Cerulean City." The servant says. Hearing the boy's name brings a feeling of nostalgia to her mind. "We assume that they already know about our attack to the Cerulean City Gym leader and are on their way to meet with her." The hooded girl finishes the report.

"That is a matter of fact." Yellow answers, while looking again at the Buttefree, who is somehow attracted to her and begins to fly towards them. "What about the Cerulean girl? Is she awake?" She asks again while lifting her hand to have the Butterfree land on it and giggle a bit. The servant looks at the scene and remembers the mysterious link between Master Yellow and the Pokémon, almost like she could read their minds or something.

"No, she hasn't woke up yet. Most probably, she won't be waking up soon, since she had the Mirror Cascade Badge extracted from within her." Reports, still watching the serene, but sad, expression of her leader.

"I see. Well, it's up to you. Go and get her before Ash Ketchum does."

"Yes, ma'am." The servant answers, utter loyalty in her words.

"And one more thing." Adds the blond woman. The hooded girl waits for her command. "Kill Dawn Berlitz." Her ominous tone contrasts with her graceful movements, but her eyes tell her that she is serious.

"K… Kill her? But Master Red said…" She answers, hesitant, confused about the order she just received. Yellow had never been the type of person who would command something like that in cold blood. She was ruthless when she had to, sure, and she was one of the most powerful Pokémon Masters she knew, but still… kill somebody? Yellow?

While she ponders that, the Butterfree suddenly leaves her hand, scared. Yellow sighs and looks back at the forest behind her, with the eyes of somebody that has been locked out of a place, never able to come back again. Her gaze hardens and looks back at her servant.

"I just want to know what lies in Ketchum's heart. If you succeed I might be able to get an answer. Take Johto 1 & 2 with you. Go now." She orders, turning her back on her. The hooded girl utters a confirmation and disappears aided by an Abra. When the girl leaves, the blond woman walks a few steps and looks down the cliff again, as if deciding to jump or not. After a couple of seconds, she stands up again and looks at the sky, which is starting to get cloudy. "I guess you will get mad at me for this, Red." At her feet, grass that used to be green a second ago is now dead.

XXXXX

Ash and Dawn are now in Cerulean City, walking the street towards the hospital from the address they got from Officer Jenny at the entrance of the town. Both youths are unusually quiet, the girl trying to read the expression on Ketchum's face, while he continues to walk silently, his sight fixed on their destination. The blue haired girl has tried to soften the mood with some conversation a couple of times already, but has failed each time.

"Ash, calm down a bit. From what officer Jenny told us, Misty is not in danger. She has only some superficial injuries, and should not take too long for her to wake up."

"I hope so." He answers, his voice filled with sadness. Hearing him like that is enough for Dawn to feel like sobbing. Each time she realizes that he's thinking in Misty, a feeling of uneasiness and a little spark of jealously emerges from within her. A jealously that might or might not be justified, since Misty just dumped him when that happened, but makes her feel guilty nonetheless. She came to see him, but there isn't much for her to do right now, besides being with him. Come to think of it, that was the one thing she didn't do for the last years, but it is until now that she realizes it. Back then they were the closest friends there were, and very alike too. Maybe too alike, because everyone they knew pointed at that fact. But that came to an end five years ago, when he told his best friend that he fell in love… with someone who wasn't her.

It happened at the last iteration of the Silver Conference. All of his friends had come to cheer on him. Brock, Misty, the Professor, his mom, May, Max, Iris and Cilan, and Dawn, of course. Serena, Clemont and Bonnie couldn't assist because of Clemont's gym leader duties.

Ash was battling against Will, a Psychic Pokémon user. He had just sent Xatu, while Ash was using Pikachu. The duel was even and both of them were down to their last Pokémon. Brock was acting as Ash's coach, sitting on his side of the arena, while Dawn donned her cheerleader outfit once more to support his best friend, a support Ash had gotten very used to receive.

"Ash, Ash, you will win, beat Will with all your will!" She cheered, humorously, making him chuckle a bit.

"Thanks Dawn. I cannot possibly lose after that." He replied, confident.

"I didn't quite like it." Added Will.

"Well, it wasn't for you, anyways." Commented Ash, full of confidence. After an intense match, it turned out that Xatu's Hidden Power was super effective against electric types, and used it to defeat Pikachu. After the match, he came back at her, walking slowly, a little embarrassed, but was received by her smiling face.

"You did great, Ash. It was really amazing!" She hugged him leaping in his arms. He caught her and smiled.

"It was thanks to your support. Now we have a contest to assist, don't we?" Ash replied while looking at her eyes. She couldn't do less than give a big smile. At that moment, everyone came down were they were, Misty at the front, waving at him. Ash looked back at Dawn with a more serious look.

"But before that… There's something I want to do, but I need your advice on how to do it."

"…Sure, what is it?" She asked, curiously.

"I want to ask Misty to be my girlfriend…" He said, obliviously. All the animosity she held suddenly crashed into a wall, smashing into thousands of pieces.

"…What?"

"I mean, you know I'm very bad at girl's stuff, so I figured out that you could give me some tips…" He said, winking at her. Dawn replied with a little smile and accepted. She didn't know why she was sad, but that little piece of information just changed everything between them.

Of course she gave him all the tips and hints he could possibly need and some more, but in the end, she left back to Sinnoh without telling him, They seldom contacted each other after that, but even that link ended when she had her accident two years ago. Now she is back at his side, pondering if she really had the right to be sad or feel replaced, when what always was between she and Ash was a pure friendship, a bond so pure that it was ok to leave like that… but then again, why did she run away?

Could it be… that she loved him? What about that feeling now? Does it still persist? She looks at her hands and holds her heart with them. Whatever the case would be, right now there's only one thing she can do. To be at his side.

XXXXXXXX

Ash is standing in front of Misty, who is bedridden, connected to a heart monitor with many electrodes on her chest, breathing through a mask. Dawn is near the door, her back leaning on the wall, looking at them from a safe distance. She examines his expression towards the girl who for five years until yesterday he called girlfriend, and her chest hurts looking at his worried eyes, filled with sadness like never before.

"Misty, if only I was there, you…." He muses, full of guiltiness. Those words attract Dawn, who hastily moves to his side.

"No, no, and definitely no, Ash Ketchum." She holds his face to make him look her in the eyes. "You are not going to blame yourself for this, understood?"

"But…"

"But nothing!" Her tone is serious and logical. "Misty is a Gym leader, and a very strong one in that regard. Do you think that Misty, being Misty, would be easily beaten just because she was sad?" Rationalizing like that makes Ash feel a bit better, even if she hurts herself upon saying those words.

"Dawn…" The Ketchum's eyes fixate in her blue ones, giving him a pleasant sensation, for a reason he can't understand, and her argument makes sense. But then again, who could be strong enough to beat the Gym leader and leave the building like that?

"…rika…" A voice suddenly stops their argument. Both of them look at the bed, were Misty has begun uttering something.

"E… rika…" Muses Misty, starting to recover her sense, looking in pain. She opens her eyes, letting them see silver disks, with no visible irises.

"Misty!" Calls her Ash, rushing to her side, holding her hands, surprised. "Everything will be ok, Misty, I'm here."

"I'll go for the doctor!" Says Dawn, being the first to react, moving towards the door. At that moment, the sound of something approaching really fast can be heard in the room. The bluenette follows the sound with her ears, pinpointing the location behind the door. She begins to open it at the same time that Ash yells at her.

"Dawn, evade! That's a Pokémon attack!" The trainer tells her. He instinctively runs towards her, but before he can do anything, a Scizor crushes the door, hitting Dawn with an X-Scissor Attack on her back, blasting her towards the wall.

"Aghh!" She screams, while the feeling of numbness begins to invade her body.

"DAWN!" The Ketchum calls her friend's name. He quickly reaches for one of his pokéballs, but before she can send anyone, a Pidgeot breaks one of the windows with an Aerial Ace, hitting Ash in the arm, pushing him to the ground, turning on himself, bouncing on the floor. He begins to bleed from the mouth while trying to stand up again. From the door and the windows, the Gym Leaders Falkner and Bugsy appear besides Pidgeot and Scizor respectively. Both enemies sport the same eyes that Misty now has, albeit being able to fully control their pokemon, who have silver irises too.

"Falkner… Bugsy…" Muses Ash, while trying to reach for Dawn, who is also bleeding, with her leg filled with cuts. She tries to stand up, but is unable to, instead beginning to recall the night of two years ago, when she was hit with a Pokémon attack.

"No…" Says in a tiny voice, her lips and arms trembling.

"¡Dawn!" Ash tries to call her, but she doesn't seem to react.

"Two goals to complete." Falkner announces, in a zombie-like voice. "Get Misty Waterflower… Kill Dawn Berlitz."

"Kill…?" Falkner's words flash like lighting in her ears. These two people are here to take Misty away and kill her. That's what they said. "No…" The image of Piplup shooting his Hydro Pump on her comes back to her mind. The attack received from the Scizor hurts a lot, so much that she is barely able to stay conscious. "No… NOOOOOO!" She holds her head and begins to scream, shutting her eyes tightly, consumed by fear and trauma.

"Falkner, Bugsy! I don't know what's going on, but this is not right!" He tries to talk to them, but to no avail. Then looks at Dawn, who is still in shock, unable to react. "Dawn! If we don't fight here, you heard what they will do!" Insists on calling her again, but she doesn't come back. Pikachu arrives at his side and begins charging electricity on his cheeks, while Scizor and Pidgeot both get near them, getting ready to unleash their attacks again.

"_I can't fight there… and I have to protect both Misty and Dawn…"_ Thinks while looking at them. "Damn!" He then reaches the pokeballs on his belt, taking two of them and preparing to fight. "If a fight you want, a fight you'll have!" Says while challenging them both. The ghost of Misty's words, telling him how much of a bad trainer he is, still haunts his mind, but he can't afford to be depressed right now. "If I don't fight…"

"You will lose everything you have." The hooded girl appears through the door, as if echoing Yellow's words.

Somewhere else, a trainer with a red cap and coat is talking to Yellow. It is a frozen mountain, with the two of them at the top of it.

"If he can't win this, he will die. Are you ok with that, Red?" Declares the blonde.

"…" A silent answer is what she receives.

**To be continued…**


End file.
